INDUSTRY INSIGHTS

Black Friday 2016 begins

With just 10 days to go until Black Friday traditionally launches on the last Friday in November, shoppers are already taking advantage of early deals.

Where are the best Black Friday deals 2016?

Amazon UK launched ‘The Black Friday Sale’ today, and remains the first etailer to do so. Extensive discounts are available across all departments, with “double the number of deals” compared to last year. The online retailer said it was extending its promotions, which ran for a week last year, in response to customer feedback.

Other retailers will be soon to follow Amazon’s early start: Argos will be begin cutting prices on Friday 18th whilst Tesco starts its Black Friday deals on Monday 21st. Debenhams will also begin the sale early, launching on Monday 21st.

Sales volumes over Black Friday and Cyber Monday make up a large amount of Christmas purchases. In 2015, Amazon (UK) sold over 7.4 million items over its week-long event in the UK: selling on average 86 items per second at peak time. Black Friday 2015 was also the largest and most successful shopping day for Argos in its trading history. Retail Week reported that both Amazon and Argos are increasing their workforces, with Argos recruiting 10,000 seasonal workers and Amazon hiring 20,000.

In essence, retailers are still competing on price. If you can find your favourite fragrance for a third of the price at another retailer, what’s to stop you ditching your go-to department store in the face of a cheaper item? Consumers now have the knowledge, and paired with unlimited choice, this definitely gives them the power.